MANCHESTER, N.H.—Sen. Ayotte fell for Gov. Hassan’s ad trap this week, disproving her own point and degrading her leadership role as a champion of human dignity, according to Cornerstone Action.

Hassan has been running TV ad spots targeting Ayotte for opposing women’s health concerns, her code for abortion-on- demand and easy birth control on the taxpayers’ dime. Specifically, the ad noted Planned Parenthood’s efforts to support “women’s health,” and Ayotte’s alleged opposition to the vague concept. Ayotte responded with “condom sense,” an effort to hand out free condoms to mostly unmarried college students.

“This ‘condom sense’ program is a cheap trick that defies common sense and deeply disappoints Cornerstone Action, an organization that has supported the Senator in the past,” said Rico McCahon, executive director of Cornerstone Action. “It sends the worst possible message on the purpose of sex and does nothing to promote Sen. Ayotte’s reelection chances. She may in fact lose supporters who feel she has betrayed the institution of the family and the conservative principles to which she’s paid lip service.

“If Sen. Ayotte wanted to show that birth control is easy to come by and that she supports ‘women’s health,’ she made the opposite argument by handing out free condoms,” McCahon added. “Condoms are available on the market for a low cost and responsible married couples can examine their own conscience when they consider moral options for family planning. By giving condoms to college students, Ayotte is encouraging wanton, meaningless sex, which degrades the dignity of both women and men and the ultimate marriage relationship that sex should ideally be reserved for.

“Sex is the most intimate God-given expression of love between a husband and wife that not only unites them in body and spirit, but also graces them with the gift of children,” McCahon added. “It is in this familial environment that children are given the support they need to grow into responsible, productive and caring adults who will build a stronger society in the future than the one we have now.

“With society’s pull toward sexual liberation, many young people are overwhelmed by pressure to engage in sexual activity, McCahon said. “Many people start out with intentions to wait for marriage, which would bene t both them and their spouse as well as the dignity of their future family. By handing a young person with strong sexual urges a condom, Ayotte is making it easier for that person, even with the best intentions, to lose his or her wits and make the wrong choice, which cheapens his or her ultimate relationship with their spouse.

“Divorce, infidelity, single-parent households, unintended pregnancy and the general decay of the committed relationship of marriage are exponentially growing problems in society that are leading to more government dependence, financial hardship, poor educational and child-rearing environments, and even violence between former spouses,” McCahon said. “Cornerstone Action encourages Sen. Ayotte to use her leadership role as U.S. Senator for New Hampshire to build up the importance of the family and ignore traps to label her as anything other than a champion of physical and spiritual health for men, women and children alike.”

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About Cornerstone Action
Cornerstone-Action and Cornerstone Policy Research are non-partisan, non-profit organizations dedicated to preserving New Hampshire’s traditional values, limited government, and free markets through education, information and advocacy. Our vision is to create an environment in which strong families— the foundation of our society—can lead New Hampshire into a new era of prosperity and strength. For more information, please visit nhcornerstone.org.

A prayer march led by members of New Hampshire Right to Life and 40 Days for Life-Manchester will take place in Manchester on Saturday, October 15. A “Jericho March” will proceed seven times around the block on which Planned Parenthood office is located, at 24 Pennacook Street. The event is part of a nationwide #ProtestPP project to observe Planned Parenthood’s 100th anniversary.

The #ProtestPP hashtag was chosen by organizers to emphasize the role of pro-life participants using social media to bring attention to the nationwide effort.

The first nationwide #ProtestPP event was in August 2015, following release of undercover videos revealing that some Planned Parenthood affiliates were engaged in the trafficking of body parts from aborted children.

For more information about the October 15 march, contact Paul at manchester@protestpp.com or visit protestpp.com.

Manchester, NH, Wednesday, May 24, 2016 – The flagship family-advocacy organization for New Hampshire, Cornerstone, will have a new face as of June 1. Rico McCahon, cofounder of Liberty Harbor Academy, will take the helm. After nearly two years as Executive Director, Bryan McCormack has accepted a position in the private sector that enables him to pursue other interests and opportunities.

“I believe that healthy families are the cornerstone of our culture,” said incoming executive director Rico McCahon. “To be given the opportunity to help protect, cultivate, and encourage family life in this role is truly humbling.”

Cornerstone’s board believes that McCahon’s background is a perfect fit for advancing the organization’s mission in the years to come.

“Rico’s experience as a teacher and administrator has heightened his understanding of the problems in our culture and the need to strengthen families,” said Cornerstone Chairman, Charlie McKinney. “This experience, combined with his sound articulation of the solutions to the many ills afflicting our culture, make him a perfect leader for Cornerstone.”

For 15 years, Cornerstone has been a leading voice in New Hampshire for conservative ideas and values. The organization has successfully advanced pro-life and pro-family legislation.

“The family is the fundamental building block of society,” said McCahon. “By strengthening the family and promoting conservative principles, we can help address problems like economic hardships, the opioid crisis, and educational weaknesses.”

Already, several states have called for investigations, and some have even defunded Planned Parenthood from taxpayer dollars, but not New Hampshire. More than half a BILLION dollars are still flowing to Planned Parenthood every year.

The question is what can be done. We have your answer.

We need to bring the power of the grassroots to Planned Parenthood. We need to stand up and show that we are sick of being forced to donate to Planned Parenthood through our tax dollars. If there is a chance that the abortion giant will be defunded from our tax dollars or that there be a proper governmental investigation into the activities of this organization, prayer and witness will need to be increased.

We are participating in the nationwide “Women Betrayed” rallies here in Concord. These rallies are happening in dozens of cities across the country, all at the same time. And, we need YOU to join us!

Our rally will be from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm on Tuesday, July 28 at the State House Plaza in downtown Concord.

Issue: 1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex?

The first question presented to the Supreme Court was whether or not the constitution requires a state to license same-sex marriage. The Constitution in no way requires states and their citizens to license same sex marriage, yet the Supreme Court has ruled otherwise. By doing so, it has redefined an institution that has proven through the centuries to benefit humanity.

Redefining marriage has severe social and cultural repercussions that we can expect to see in the wake of this decision. Particular concerns arise as we consider how marriage affects children and parental rights. We know that children and families are stronger when a married, committed mother and father are present. Don’t our children at least deserve this? We’ve already seen the results of the disintegration of marriage. Redefining marriage to include same-sex partners will only lead us to further cultural instability.

2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out-of-state?

The second part of this decision has also undermined the Tenth Amendment. Voters in 31 States have already voted to keep the definition of marriage as one man and one woman. By disregarding this, the Supreme Court has overstepped its bounds. The Supreme Court should not be able to overrule the United States citizens with one case ruling. According to the ruling, States would need to recognize same sex marriages performed lawfully out-of-state regardless of the opinion of that State’s citizens.

While we are disappointed in the ruling, this is not the end of the debate. In fact, this is the beginning of larger discussion on marriage, family and the importance that both these issues have in our country’s well being.

Executive Director Bryan McCormack commented, “We are severely disappointed in the Supreme Court’s lack of respect for the millions of citizens across the United States who believe in traditional marriage. This was not the Supreme Court’s decision to make, however, we still remain hopeful. We remain hopeful in the health and goodness that marriage between a man and a woman bring to our state and our nation.”

Parents have the right to direct the education of their children. The US Supreme Court has upheld this right on numerous occasions when under assault. This right includes the ability of parents to REFUSE to allow their own child to participate in testing which they feel is inappropriate.

Governor Hassan’s VETO House Bill 603, acknowledging the Right of Parents to REFUSE inappropriate testing, shows blatant disregard for parents in New Hampshire. Cornerstone has actively been working with parents across the state. Time and time again we find parents being told that they have no choice regarding testing that they deem inappropriate. HB 603 assured parents of their right to make the best decisions for their children. The Governor has clearly placed Federal mandates and the acquisition of Federal dollars ahead of the Rights of Parents.

Contact your state Legislators immediately. Tell them to Overturn her Veto on HB 603 and protect Parental Rights!

As we have mentioned, our dinner is coming up on May 12th. What has not been announced is who will be speaking at the return of Cornerstone’s annual dinner! Well, the wait is over! We are pleased to announce that Senator Rick Santorum (PA) will be our keynote speaker!

Senator Santorum served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1991 to 1995, and in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2007 where he was known as one of the most successful government reformers in our history. Rick took on Washington’s powerful special interests from the moment he arrived in our nation’s Capitol in 1991. Rick was a member of the “Gang of Seven” that exposed the Congressional Banking and Congressional Post Office scandals. Rick was also an author and floor manager of the landmark Welfare Reform Act which passed in 1996 that has empowered millions of Americans to leave the welfare rolls and enter the workforce.Senator Santorum has stood for family values throughout his many years of public service. The Senator’s recent book, “Bella’s Gift: How One Little Girl Transformed Our Family and Inspired a Nation” exemplified his position on the values we hold dear. He articulated how his daughter Bella has deeply affected his heart, ultimately reinforcing his faith and his principles. Please join us Tuesday, May 12th, the day before Bella’s birthday, to honor the family.

On behalf of Cornerstone Policy Research, Education Liaison Ann Marie Banfield recently sent a request to the New Hampshire Department of Education under the state’s right-to-know law, seeking information about New Hampshire participation in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Cornerstone has been contacted by many parents with concerns about the educational standards to be used in local schools, and we look forward to sharing with parents the state’s responses to these questions.

Did the New Hampshire Department of Education conduct public hearings in an effort to gather feedback from the public and teachers on the NGSS? If so, how many public hearings?

Has the DOE compared the Next Generation Science Standards to State Science Standards that were considered the best in the country? If so, please provide notes from those meetings.

What is the estimated cost of implementing the NGSS in the New Hampshire schools?

Did you consult with professors of science and engineering at the college level in New Hampshire to ask for their expert opinions on NGSS? If so, can you provide notes and copies of those reviews? Please provide names, titles, and academic resumés of the higher education professors of science and engineering who reviewed the NGSS.

Please clarify the process for adoption of the NGSS. According to Board of Education Chairman Tom Raffio, the NH BOE has just begun the process of either endorsing or adopting the NGSS. I’m looking for detailed information on how this process to adopt or endorse the NGSS will go.

Was there any kind of critical analysis done on the NGSS by the NH DOE? If so, can you provide notes and documentation on the materials used?

Are the NGSS internationally benchmarked? If so, please provide a list of countries used for comparison.

Having grown up in the Granite State, I have had the pleasure of enjoying all the marvels of our great state. From our rugged mountains all the way to our frozen lakes, there is so much beauty in the New Hampshire brand. However, there is one more beauty that I became acquainted with as I grew into the political sphere.

Many get irritated with the millions of phone calls and mailings that pour into our state. Some even turn a rooster on those going around knocking on doors (yes, that happened to me). All this attention says a lot about our little state. We have a population of 1.3 million. To put that in perspective, many cities are more populous than our entire state! However, any presidential candidate worth their mettle has to come here, meet the people, shake hands, and take the New Hampshire test before entering the national fray.

This gives us an incredible gift and opportunity as family-focused individuals to test candidates for the rest of the country. This is a matter of stewardship. We have not only been given stewardship of our vote, but also of the responsibility to try candidates and present the nation with a leader who sees the importance of strong family values.

The process of candidates making their way through New Hampshire has already started. I encourage everyone to get involved. Go to the various events that these candidates set up in New Hampshire. Ask the tough questions, shake their hands let them know how important family values are to you and to our state.

The individual involvement of each and every one of us is the only way to bring change to our state and our nation!

Sarah Koski has joined Cornerstone Policy Research and Cornerstone Action as Political Director, in charge of legislative advocacy. She previously served as field director for the Unlocking Potential Project.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to serve New Hampshire families through Cornerstone’s family first platform and legislative priorities,” she says. “I look forward to encouraging and promoting an environment within our state that allows families to thrive.”

“We are extremely excited to have Sarah on board,” says Cornerstone Executive Director Bryan McCormack. “Not only is she brilliantly articulate but is a dedicated champion for family values. We are ecstatic to welcome her to the Cornerstone team.”

Koski is a graduate of Thomas Edison State College and lives in southern New Hampshire. She will work closely with the Executive Director and with Education Liaison Ann Marie Banfield at the State House.

Cornerstone Policy Research and its legislative-advocacy arm, Cornerstone Action, are nonprofit non-partisan public policy organizations working to promote strong New Hampshire families.